From organic fruit and veg to meat and even gourmet hampers, these local suppliers will save you a supermarket slog

FISHBOX

IN A NUTSHELL

A proper fishmonger that delivers to
your door

THE PRODUCE

The freshest seafood from the world’s leading fish markets

THE LOWDOWN

Run by Wet Fish Trading, a family-run wholesale firm that supplies many of the region’s top hotels and restaurants, Fishbox is the place to go if you get annoyed at paying top whack for lacklustre frozen fish. Sustainably sourced from markets in countries including the UK, Japan, Turkey and the Maldives, and then processed here in the UAE, you can expect great quality for great prices. A 1.5kg side of Atlantic salmon for Dhs150, for example.

DELIVERY

Fishbox offers free next day delivery daily across Dubai, on orders made before 6pm. There are two delivery slots, from 9.30am to 12.30pm and from 2pm to 6pm.

fishbox.ae

SECRETS FINE FOOD

IN A NUTSHELL

Gourmet ingredients and gifts for foodies

THE PRODUCE

Everything from boutique teas to grass-fed beef to mochi ice cream bites

THE LOWDOWN

If you’re a serious foodie, or you’re looking to impress one, this is your website. High-end is the name of the game here, with produce handpicked for its quality, so while it’s not one for your basic weekly shop, this is the place to find all manner of gourmet treats and treasures, from hampers and tea baskets to top-end vinegars and oils. There’s also an extensive selection of hard-to-source Japanese goods, from miso and ponzu to sushi-grade tuna, perfect for ambitious home chefs.

DELIVERY

Secrets offers daily delivery in Dubai, with guaranteed next day slots for all orders placed before 3pm. Delivery is free over Dhs250, otherwise it costs Dhs50. The company also heads to Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain at least twice a week, with delivery of orders of under Dhs250 costing Dhs75 there.

secretsfinefood.com

RIPE

IN A NUTSHELL

Organic produce from the UAE’s best-known farmers’ market

THE PRODUCE

Local organic fruit and veg, plus poultry and store cupboard items

THE LOWDOWN

It might be best known for its fruit and veggie boxes, but Ripe actually offers more than 800 organic products for delivery, including fresh bread, dairy and eggs, baby food and store cupboard items such as tahini and honey. There’s also a range of free-from products, rare ingredients like Himalayan pink salt and raw cacoa, and even household cleaning and beauty products.

DELIVERY

Ripe offers seven-day delivery in Dubai, from 10am to 10pm Sunday to Friday and from 2pm to 10pm on Saturdays. Delivery costs Dhs25 with a minimum spend of Dhs100, and is free for orders over Dhs500. The firm also delivers between 6pm and 10pm in Abu Dhabi, excluding Fridays and Sundays, with a delivery fee of Dhs50, and once a week to the remaining five emirates and in Al Ain, for Dhs75.

ripeme.com

MY Q&C

IN A NUTSHELL

An all-round grocery service with imported products you can’t find elsewhere

THE PRODUCE

Everything from fruit and veg, chicken and fish to imported pastas and sauces

THE LOWDOWN

The name stands for ‘My Quality and Convenience’ and on that front, this Dubai-based start-up literally delivers. One of the few local online stores to stock most of your staple family foods, a shopping list here could contain everything from frozen Tegel chicken to fruit, veg, Barilla pasta, sauces, organic eggs and even gluten-free specialty products. The firm’s blog even provides recipes each week to help you plan your week’s meals.

DELIVERY

My Q&C delivers free, next-day delivery to all seven emirates with a minimum spend of Dhs75. Deliveries are scheduled between 9am and 9pm Saturday to Thursday, but if you call the very helpful switchboard staff first thing in the morning, they can sometimes swing a same day delivery for all those empty-store cupboard emergencies.

myqandc.com

PRIME GOURMET

IN A NUTSHELL

Quality butchery delivered right to
your door

THE PRODUCE

Meat, meat and more meat, from beef and poultry to lamb and veal

THE LOWDOWN

Used in professional kitchens across Dubai, Prime Gourmet’s meat is arguably the best in the city, butchered fresh to order. Connoisseur carnivores can choose from wagyu, grain-fed and free-range beef cuts, as well as lamb, veal, poultry and freshly-prepared burgers and sausages.

DELIVERY

Prime Gourmet offers next day delivery across Dubai’s Emirates Living and Jumeirah districts six days a week, excluding Fridays. Orders must be placed before 3pm and delivery costs Dhs50 for orders under Dhs300.

primegourmet.ae

KIBSONS

IN A NUTSHELL

Fresh fruit and veggies at wholesale prices

THE PRODUCE

Fruit and veg, plus a selection of prepared frozen meats and South African extras

THE LOWDOWN

This is our go-to for our weekly fruit and veg shop, thanks to its wide range and great prices. While the family-run wholesale business supplies a host of local supermarkets, by bypassing the middle man you get the added reassurance that whatever you order hasn’t been sitting on a shelf for days. It’s also a great place to buy harder-to-find fresh produce such as custard apples and tamarind, and the extras, from biltong and boerworst to South African children’s bath products, make for a novel add-on to the basics.

DELIVERY

Kibsons delivers across Dubai from 9am to 9pm, seven days a week. Delivery is free with a minimum order of Dhs100 and if you order before 11am, you’ll get your shopping on the same day. Our only gripe is the lengthy delivery slots, 9am to 3pm and 3pm to 9pm.

kibsons.com

BIO ORGANIC STORE

IN A NUTSHELL

A huge selection of fresh and dried groceries, certified organic

THE PRODUCE

Everything from fruit, veg, meat and dairy to grains, superfood supplies and even organic protein bars

THE LOWDOWN

This café-cum-supermarket in Tecom stocks a very extensive range of organic produce, from daily staples such as meat, eggs, pasta, rice and veggies through to harder-to-find ingredients including fresh turmeric root, seaweed and even beef shawarma packs. There’s also a wide selection of Japanese products, including matcha and miso.

DELIVERY

Bio Organic offers free delivery across Dubai, seven days a week, on orders over Dhs250. It also offers a weekly Saturday delivery to Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, although there is a minimum spend of Dhs1,000.

biorganicstore.com

GREENHEART ORGANIC FARMS

IN A NUTSHELL

Local, farm-fresh organic produce

THE PRODUCE

Picked-to-order fruit and veg, plus local meat and poultry

THE LOWDOWN

Local start-up Greenheart has quickly gone from being a small veggie-box delivery service to an all-round organic grocer stocking everything from its own fruit and veg through to dairy, meat and storecupboard products such as honey, cereals and bakery goods. The company supplies a host of local businesses as well as individual households, and all produce is harvested to order, so you’ll know your peppers have been picked just for you.

DELIVERY

In Dubai, Greenheart offers free next day delivery on all orders over Dhs130 made by noon, with an admin fee of Dhs5 per order. Deliveries are made between 2pm and 5pm Sunday to Thursday. It also offers twice weekly deliveries to Abu Dhabi, on Mondays and Wednesdays between 6pm and 9pm, with a delivery charge of Dhs40.

greenheartuae.com

SPRINGBOK

IN A NUTSHELL

A proper butchery service that delivers
to your door

THE PRODUCE

Fresh, not frozen, hormone- and antibiotic-free beef, lamb and chicken

THE LOWDOWN

If you’re concerned about what’s really in your fresh meat and poultry products, Springbok can put your mind at rest. The company’s meat products, most of which comes from Australia with a small amount from South Africa, are all free from nasties, including antibiotics and hormones, the chicken comes from an accredited farm in the UAE and is always fresh, so can be frozen at home if you prefer, and even the sausages and burgers are free from fillers and additives. The weekly clean pack, which costs Dhs350, contains 5kg of grass-fed beef cuts.

DELIVERY

Springbok offers free next day delivery, seven days a week, across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, on all orders placed before 10pm. Delivery is free, though there’s a minimum order of Dhs250.

springbokbutchery.com